Apple Updates Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard with Flashback Removal Tool, Flash Player Disabler

leopard boxWhile Apple moved fairly quickly to release software tools for OS X Lion and Snow Leopard to remove the Flashback malware from infected systems and patch the Java vulnerability it exploited, users of earlier operating system versions have remained vulnerable.

Apple addressed that issue today for users of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, releasing Leopard Flashback Removal Security Update to clean infected systems and disable the Java plug-in in Safari.

This update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware. If the Flashback malware is found, a dialog will notify you that malware was removed. In some cases, the update may need to restart your computer in order to completely remove the Flashback malware.

To improve the security of your Mac, this update also disables the Java plug-in in Safari. For instructions on how to re-enable it, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5241.

The update weighs in at 1.23 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8.

On a separate note, Apple also released Leopard Security Update 2012-003, which automatically disables out-of-date versions of Adobe Flash Player for security reasons. The update weighs in at 1.11 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8.

This update disables versions of Adobe Flash Player that do not include the latest security updates and provides the option to get the current version from Adobe's website.

Apple included similar functionality for Lion and Snow Leopard systems in Safari 5.1.7 released last week alongside OS X 10.7.4.

Today's software releases for Mac OS X Leopard mark the first significant software updates for the operating system since the debut of OS X Lion in mid-2011.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

keruah Avatar
159 months ago
Downloaded both: FlashbackRemovalUpdate.dmg, SecUpd2012-003.dmg

Neither will run on Power PC G5 System running Leopard 10.5.8.

Looks like we're left out again. :\
So you can't have Flashback but want to remove it?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dragonforce Avatar
159 months ago
Nice to see that Apple still not has completely forgotten about users who are still on Leopard / legacy systems with PPC.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
drorpheus Avatar
159 months ago
You can't get an up-to-date version of Flash Player for a PPC Mac and without Flash content access you may as well toss it in the trash. I know PPC systems can hardly render Flash content but still ....

yeah no doubt, i just burned my ipad1 because its soo old and if anyone on here wants it they can have my already obsolete ipad2. neither can do flash so obviously lack all major techz.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
commander.data Avatar
159 months ago
What about all Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users? :( Left in the cold?!
Downloaded both: FlashbackRemovalUpdate.dmg, SecUpd2012-003.dmg

Neither will run on Power PC G5 System running Leopard 10.5.8.

Looks like we're left out again. :\
Tiger and PPC Leopard never had Java SE 6, which is where the security vulnerability has been reported to be. Does Flashback even work on Java 1.4 and/or Java SE 5? Tiger and PPC Leopard may actually have the advantage of security through obsolescence.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleMacFinder Avatar
159 months ago
Is there a way to disable Flash in Lion or do I have to uninstall it?
The best choice is to uninstall the Flash, and install Google Chrome - which has a built-in Flash,
separated from Safari and other browsers. And then, when you need Flash, just launch Google Chrome.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
159 months ago
Disabling out of date Flash is a great idea.

Most users will never update it, but if they can't view YouTube without updating, they'll update it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)